Reel with Built in Pallet

ABSTRACT

A cable reel for holding a cable wound thereon that includes a cylindrical drum having a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end spaced from the first end. The cable reel also includes a first flange that is coupled to the first end of the cylindrical drum and a second flange that is coupled to the second end of the cylindrical drum. The cable reel further includes a spacer that extends axially outward from the first flange. The spacer is configured to support the reel with the first flange spaced above a support surface when the longitudinal axis of the reel is in a substantially vertical orientation and with the reel being supported on the support surface by the spacer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/591,630, filed Aug. 22, 2012. U.S. application Ser. No. 13/591,630 isincorporated here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity ofdisclosure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to cable reels for holding cableswound thereon, and more particularly to apparatus and systems forstacking upright cable reels on top of each other.

BACKGROUND

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cable reel 2 as typicallyfound in the prior art, and which includes a barrel portion (not shown)with flanges 4, 5 attached at both ends. A cable 14 is typically wrappedaround the barrel portion and in between the inner surfaces of theflanges 4, 5 while the reel 2 is rotatably mounted on a horizontalspindle installed through spindle holes in the center of the flanges 4,5. After the cable has been wrapped around the barrel portion, the cablereel 2 is typically turned upright for storage and transportation to thelocation of intended use, where it is once again mounted onto a spindleand rotated as the cable 14 is fed from the reel 2. While oriented inthe vertical and upright position, however, the cable reel 2 must bestackable on top of a lower cable reel 3 of equal or greater size (seeFIG. 2B). And whether isolated or stacked, the upright cable reel 2 mustalso be able to tolerate lateral loadings and forces which may beexperienced during storage and transportation (e.g. within the cargoarea of a truck) that would otherwise cause the cable reel to tip andfall.

A cable reel 2 that is loaded with wire or cable 14 can be quite heavy,with a significant weight 6 that generally requires a fork truck havingforks 12 to lift and move the loaded cable reel. With loaded cable reels2, it is desirable that the forks 12 be positioned completely under thelower flange 5 of the upright cable reel 2 and towards the outer portionof the flange, but still underneath the boundary of the wrapped cable 14(as shown in FIG. 1). This ensures that the elevated reel 2 has a widebase to protect against tipping and falling, and with the weight 6 ofthe cable 14 passing directly downward through the thickness of theflange 5 to the supporting forks 12, and not laterally across theexpanse of the flange. If the forks 12 are too far apart, so as to leavethe center portion of the flange 5 largely unsupported, the flange couldbow or sag downwards in the center under the weight 6 of the cable 14and eventually crack and fail.

It can be problematic, however, to correctly position the forks 12 underthe lower flange 5 of the cable reel 2 when the bottom face of the lowerflange 5 is contacting and flush with the ground surface 10 (FIG. 2A),or stacked flush on top of the upper flange 4 of another cable reel 3(FIG. 2B). This is because the driver of the fork truck, who usuallyworks alone, may have difficulty forcing the forks 12 in between thefloor 10 and the bottom flange 5, or in between the top flange 4 of thebottom reel 3 and the bottom flange 5 of the top reel 2 to pick up thereel 2.

What is needed is a system for better supporting an upright cable reelon a ground surface or on the upper flange of a lower cable reel thatallows the forks of a fork lift to be properly positioned for liftingand moving the cable reel. Moreover, the system must still provided thesupport necessary to avoid tipping and falling during storage andstacked transportation (e.g. such as being stacked within the cargo areaof a truck, etc.)

SUMMARY

Briefly described, a cable reel for holding a cable thereon includes acylindrical drum having a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a secondend spaced from the first end. The cable reel also includes a firstflange that is coupled to the first end of the cylindrical drum and asecond flange that is coupled to the second end of the cylindrical drum.The cable reel further includes a spacer that extends axially outwardfrom the first flange. The spacer is configured to support the reel withthe first flange spaced above a support surface when the longitudinalaxis of the reel is in a substantially vertical or upright orientationand with the reel being supported on the support surface by the spacer.

In another representative embodiment, the cable reel includes acylindrical drum having ends and flanges extending radially outwardlyfrom the ends of the drum, with each flange having an outer face. Thecable reel also includes a spacer that projects outwardly from the outerface of one of the flanges, and which is configured to support the reelon a surface with the outer face of the one flange being spaced from thesurface.

In another representative embodiment, a system for stacking a pluralityof cable reels that includes a first cable reel and a second cable reel.The first cable reel includes a first cylindrical drum having a firstlongitudinal axis, a first proximal flange coupled to the firstcylindrical portion at a first proximal end, and a first distal flangecoupled to the first cylindrical portion at a first distal end spacedfrom the first proximal end. Similarly, the second cable reel includes asecond cylindrical drum having a second longitudinal axis, a secondproximal flange coupled to the second cylindrical portion at a secondproximal end, and a second distal flange coupled to the secondcylindrical portion at a second distal end spaced from the secondproximal end.

The system further includes a spacer positioned between an adjacentproximal flange of one of the first cable reel and the second cable reeland an adjacent distal flange of the other of the first cable reel andthe second cable reel, with the spacer being coupled to and extendingaxially outward from one of the adjacent proximal flange and theadjacent distal flange to support the first cable reel when the firstcable reel is stacked over the second cable reel so that the firstlongitudinal axis is substantially coaxial with the second longitudinalaxis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cable reel as typically foundin the prior art.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic representations of single and stackedcable reels as typically found in the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cable reel with a built in pallet, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are close-up top and perspective views, respectively, ofa flange of the cable reel of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of stacked cable reels, in accordance with theembodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an underside view of an upper cable reel supported on a forklift, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 7 and 7A are perspective views of the upper and lower flanges ofthe cable reel, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the upper and lower flangesof FIG. 7 in a mated configuration.

FIGS. 9 and 9A are perspective views of the upper and lower flanges ofthe cable reel, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the upper and lowerflanges of FIG. 9 in a mated configuration.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the upper and lower flanges of thecable reel, in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the upper and lowerflanges of FIG. 11 in a mated configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made in more detail to the above drawing figures,wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout theseveral views.

Illustrated in FIGS. 3-12 are several representative embodiments of acable reel and a system for stacking a plurality of cable reels, whichembodiments also include various methods for stacking cable reels on topof each other, end-to-end, for transportation and storage. As describedhereinbelow, the cable reel stacking system provides several significantadvantages and benefits over other systems and methods for stacking andstoring cable reels. However, the recited advantages are not meant to belimiting in any way, as one skilled in the art will appreciate thatother advantages may also be realized upon practicing the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cable reel 20 having a built inpallet, in accordance with a representative embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The cable reel 20 includes a barrel portion 30 (not visibleas it is covered by the cable 14) having a longitudinal axis 32 and afirst flange 40 mounted at a first end 34. The first flange 40 includesan outer face 41 having a spacer 60 extending outwardly therefrom in anaxial direction. The cable reel 20 also includes a second flange 42mounted at a second end 36. In some aspects, the outer face 43 of thesecond flange 42 can include alignment features (not shown) which arecomplimentary with the spacer 60 that extends axially outward from theouter face 41 of the first flange 40, as will be discussed in moredetail below. In other aspects, the outer face 43 of the second flange42 may not include alignment features.

For visibility purposes, in FIG. 3 the cable reel 20 is oriented withthe first flange 40 being the upper or top flange and the second flange42 being the lower or bottom flange. However, as will be appreciated byone of skill in the art, the orientation of the cable reel 20 iscompletely reversible, with the first flange 40 being positioned at thebottom and the second flange 42 at the top.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the first flange 40 can comprise anumber of structural features formed into or through the outer face 41which may also be included, but not necessarily required, in otherembodiments of the disclosure. These structural features include acentral hub portion 44 that more or less aligns with the barrel, aspindle hole 46, and one or more drive holes 47. The hub portion mayalso include a plurality of bolt recesses 48 with bolts 49 installedtherein. The bolts 49 can attach the first flange 40 either directly tothe barrel portion or to the second flange 42 with the barrel portionbeing clasped there between, depending upon the design of the cable reel20. Other systems and methods for attaching the flange 40 to the barrelor to the opposing flange 42 are also possible and may be considered tofall within the scope of the present disclosure.

The first flange can further include an outer portion 54 that isradially positioned between the hub potion 44 and the outer rim 58 ofthe flange 40. The outer portion can also include a plurality ofstructural ribs 56 which stiffen and strengthen the periphery of theflange 40, as well as an optional start hole 57 for feeding the end ofthe cable therethrough when winding the cable into the cable reel 20. Asshown in FIG. 4B, the end of the cable 14 which extends through thestart hole 57, also known as a pigtail 16, can be secured to the outerface 41 of the flange 40 with tie wraps.

The second flange 42 can include structural features formed into itsouter face 43 which are similar to those included in the first flange,so that the two flanges have a measure of interchangeability whenmounted within a mandrel (not shown) during the winding or unwinding ofthe cable. For instance, both the first and second flanges 40, 42 caninclude spindle holes 46 and drive holes 47 that are sized andconfigured for the same type of mandrel apparatus, which allows thecable to be mounted and wound or unwound from either direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B, both the first flange 40 and the secondflange 42 can be formed from a composite material, such as acompression-molded wood plastic composite, a thermoplastic, and thelike, which can allow for the structural features described above to beincluded in the molds which are used to form the flange. In otherembodiments the flanges can be made from wood, such as nailed wood orplywood, which generally result in a smooth outer face 41, 43 of theflanges 40, 42 and in which the spindle hole, the drive hole(s), and thebolt holes may be drilled separately.

In the case of composite flanges, both the spacer 60 included in thefirst flange 40 and the alignment features (not shown) included in thesecond flange 42 can be formed integral with their respective flanges oradded subsequent to the making of the flange. In the case of the woodenflanges, the spacer and alignment features can be separate structureswhich are added later.

With the embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B,the spacer 60 can comprise a round spacer ring 62 having a thickness 64that is configured to support the weight of one or more loaded cablereels stacked one on top the other. As shown in FIG. 5, moreover, thespacer ring 62 can have a height 65 that is sufficient to create a gapbetween the outer faces 41, 43 of the opposing flanges 40, 42 so thatthe forks 12 of a fork lift can enter between the flanges without havingto further pry apart the two faces.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 6, the spacer 60 (in this case, segmentedspacer ring 72) can be centered on the first flange 40, and can have adiameter 73 which locates the spacer ring 72 within the outer portion 54of the flange first 40, so that the forks 12 will be positioned interiorto the outer rim 58 of the flange 40 and underneath the outer boundaryof the cable 14 that has been wrapped around the drum of the cable reel20 (see also FIG. 1).

FIGS. 7, 7A and 8 together illustrate one embodiment of a system 90 forstacking a plurality of cable reels 20A, 20B that includes the spacer 60or spacer ring 62 of FIG. 3 molded or attached to the outer face 41 ofthe first flange 40, and one or more complimentary alignment features 80molded or attached to the outer face 43 of the second flange 42. In thiscase, the alignment features 80 can include a plurality of alignmenttabs 82 located both at an alignment tab radius 83 and at regularangular intervals around the outer face 43 of the second flange 42. Asshown in FIG. 7A, in one aspect the alignment tabs 82 can projectoutwardly in the axial direction from the ribs 56 formed into the outerportion 54 of the second flange 42.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in one aspect the radius 83 of the alignmenttabs 82 can be slightly less than ½ the diameter 63 of the spacer ring62, so that when the two flanges are brought together in alignment, theinside surface of the spacer ring 62 abuts against the outside edges ofthe alignment tabs 82. Thus, when located at regular angular intervalsaround the outer face 43 the second flange 42, the alignment tabs 82 canrestrict the lateral or sliding movement of the spacer ring 62, andtherefore the cable reel 20A, in any direction.

In one aspect, either or both of the inside surface of the spacer ring62 and outside edges of the alignment tabs 82 may taper away from theircomplimentary or mating structure, as viewed from the base portionproximate the flange towards the tip of the structure. This taper canprovide a wider tolerance when first aligning the two complimentarystructures, which then tightens as the two flanges are brought intogreater contact with each other.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the radius 83 of thealignment tabs 82 can be substantially less than ½ the diameter 63 ofthe spacer ring 62, so that when the upper flange 40 is positioned ontop the lower flange 42, the inside surface of the spacer ring 62 doesnot abut against the outside edges of all the alignment tabs 82, butinstead contacts fewer than all the alignment tabs, or even possibly noalignment tabs if well centered. Thus, the longitudinal axis of theupper reel 20A may not be forced into alignment with the longitudinalaxis of the lower cable reel 20B, but instead can be offset or skewed toone side. Nevertheless, the interaction between the alignment tabs 82 onthe second flange 42 and the spacer ring 62 extending from the firstflange 40 can be sufficient to keep the upper cable reel 20A fromsliding more than a small distance across the outer face 43 on thesecond flange 42 of the lower cable reel 20B. Such a configuration canmake it easier for driver of the forklift to stack the cable reels byallowing for greater tolerances when positioning the upper cable reel20A on top of the lower cable reel 20B.

It is also to be appreciated that in some embodiments the alignment tabs82 can be positioned outside the spacer ring 62 and at a radius 83 thatis greater (whether slightly or substantially) than ½ the diameter 63 ofthe spacer ring 62, so that when the two flanges are brought together inalignment, the outside surface of the spacer ring 62 abuts against theinside edges of one or more alignment tabs 82, and thereby restricts thelateral or sliding movement of the spacer ring 62, and therefore thecable reel 20A, in any direction.

FIGS. 9, 9A and 10 together illustrate another embodiment of a system 92for stacking a plurality of cable reels 20C, 20D that includes thespacer 60 or spacer ring 66 (which spacer ring 66 is similar to thespacer ring 62 shown in FIG. 3, only taller) molded or attached to theouter face 41 of the first flange 40. In this case, however, thecomplimentary alignment feature 80 can include a plurality of alignmentslots 84 (or a continuous recess) which have been molded into the outerface 43 of the second flange 41 at an alignment slot radius 85. As shownin FIG. 9A, in one aspect the alignment slots 84 can extend inwardlyinto the ribs 56 formed into the outer portion 54 of the second flange41.

Referring now to FIG. 10, the radius 85 of the alignment slots 84 canequal to ½ the diameter 63 of the spacer ring 66, and the spacer ring 66can have a height 65 that is greater than the embodiment of the spacerring shown in FIG. 3. Thus, when the two flanges are brought together inalignment, the tip portion 67 of the spacer ring 66 can be capturedwithin the sidewalls of the alignment slots 84 while maintaining thesame separation distance between the outer faces 41, 42 of the flanges40, 42 to allow for insertion of the forks there in between. Like thealignment tabs described above, the alignment slots 84 can also functionto restrict the lateral or sliding movement of the spacer ring 66, andtherefore the cable reel 20C, in any direction. In providing for anembodiment that allows for greater tolerances in positioning the uppercable reel 20C on top of the lower cable reel 20D, however, in this casethe width of the alignment slots 84 can be substantially greater thanthe thickness of the spacer ring 66 to allow a forklift truck drivergreater flexibility in stacking the cable reels.

FIGS. 11 and 12 together illustrate another embodiment of a system 94for stacking a plurality of cable reels 20E, 20F that includes thespacer 60, in this case a spacer cap 68, that can be removably attachedto the outer face 41 of the first flange 40. The spacer cap 68 can havean outer diameter 63 and a substantially-planar top surface 69 which canseat securely against an outer face 43 of a second flange 42 which issubstantially flat, such as when the second flange is made of wood. Inthis case, the complimentary alignment feature 80 can be a plurality ofalignment tabs 86 located both at an alignment tab radius 87 and atregular angular intervals around the outer face 43 of the second flange42, and which can project axially outward from the substantially flatface 43 of the second flange 42.

Referring now to FIG. 12, the radius 87 of the alignment tabs 86 can beslightly greater than ½ the diameter 63 of the spacer cap 68, so thatwhen the two flanges are brought together in alignment, the outsidesurface of the spacer cap 68 abuts against the inside edges of thealignment tabs 86. Here again, when located at regular angular intervalsaround outer face 43 the second flange 42, the alignment tabs 86 canrestrict the lateral or sliding movement of the spacer cap 68, andtherefore the cable reel 20E, in any direction.

And in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the radius 87of the alignment tabs 86 can be substantially greater than ½ thediameter 63 of the spacer cap 68, in order to provide for greatertolerances in positioning the upper cable reel 20E on top of the lowercable reel 20F to allow a forklift truck driver greater flexibility instacking the cable reels. Nevertheless, the interaction between thealignment tabs 86 on the second flange 42 and the spacer ring 62extending from the first flange 40 can be sufficient to keep the uppercable reel 20E from sliding more than a small distance across the outerface 43 on the second flange 42 of the lower cable reel 20F.

Another advantage with the alignment cap 68 is that it can cover andprotect the pigtail of the cable during storage and transportation ofthe cable reel 20E. Referring back to FIG. 4B, this is similar to theprotection provided to the pigtail 16 of the cable 14 by the open spacerring 62 shown in the drawing, but with the additional coverage over thetop of the volume surrounded and defined by the spacer ring 62.

It is to be appreciated that the spacer 60 of the present disclosure isnot limited to the circular embodiments described herein, and maycomprise a variety of polygonal shapes included octagons, hexagons, asquare, and the like. Such shapes may correspond with complementaryrecesses formed into the outer surface 43 of the second flange 42. It isalso to be appreciated that the spacer 60 can constructed and mounted tothe outer surface 41 of the first flange 40 using a variety of methods,including but not limited to the segmented spacer ring 72 shown in FIG.6 which can be formed from a plurality of segments 74, each of which isindividually attached to the first flange 40 with a fastener, such asbolt 76.

The invention has been described herein within the context of preferredembodiments and methodologies considered by the inventor to representthe best mode of carrying out the invention. It will be apparent tothose of skill in the art, however, that a large number of additions,deletions, and modifications, both subtle and gross, may well be made tothe illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention, which is delineated only by the claims hereof.

1. A winding apparatus comprising: a cylindrical body having alongitudinal central axis, a first end, and a second end spaced from thefirst end; a first flange coupled to the first end of the cylindricalbody; a second flange coupled to the second end of the cylindrical bodyand having an outer face, a central hub extending outwardly from theouter face, and an outer rim; a spacer extending axially outward fromthe outer face, the spacer being configured to support the windingapparatus with the second flange spaced above a support surface when thelongitudinal axis of the winding apparatus is in a substantiallyvertical orientation with the winding apparatus supported on the supportsurface by the spacer; and a plurality of structural ribs comprising afirst set of structural ribs extending radially between the central huband the spacer and a second set of structural ribs extending radiallybetween the spacer and the outer rim.
 2. The winding apparatus of claim1 wherein the first set of structural ribs are radially aligned with thesecond set of structural ribs.
 3. The winding apparatus of claim 1wherein the spacer is substantially annular in shape.
 4. The windingapparatus of claim 1 wherein the central hub is substantially annular inshape.
 5. The winding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spacer extendsaxially outward from the plurality of radially extending structuralribs.
 6. The winding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer isintegrally formed with the second flange.
 7. The winding apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the spacer is coupled to the second flange.
 8. Thewinding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer is symmetric about thelongitudinal central axis.
 9. The winding apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe spacer is shaped like a circular cylinder.
 10. A winding apparatuscomprising: a cylindrical body having a longitudinal central axis, afirst end, and a second end spaced from the first end; a flange coupledto the first end of the cylindrical body and having an outer face and anouter rim; a spacer extending axially outward from the outer face, thespacer being configured to support the winding apparatus with the flangespaced above a support surface when the longitudinal axis of the windingapparatus is in a substantially vertical orientation; and a plurality ofstructural ribs affixed to the flange; wherein the plurality ofstructural ribs define a planar surface located radially inward of theouter rim and radially outward of the spacer for receiving in flatabutting relationship an upper surface of a pair of forklift forks. 11.The winding apparatus of claim 10 wherein: the flange further comprisesa central hub extending outwardly from the outer face; and wherein theplurality of structural ribs comprises a first set of structural ribsextending radially between the central hub and the spacer and a secondset of structural ribs extending radially between the spacer and theouter rim.
 12. The winding apparatus of claim 10 wherein the spacer isintegrally formed with the flange.
 13. The winding apparatus of claim 10wherein the spacer is coupled to the flange.
 14. The winding apparatusof claim 10 wherein the spacer is symmetric about the longitudinal axis.15. The winding apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a second flangecoupled to the second end of the cylindrical body
 16. A system forstacking a plurality of cable reels, the system comprising: a firstcable reel, the first cable reel including a first cylindrical drumhaving a first longitudinal axis, a lower flange coupled to the firstcylindrical drum at a lower end, and an upper flange coupled to thefirst cylindrical drum at an upper end spaced from the lower end; asecond cable reel, the second cable reel including a second cylindricaldrum having a second longitudinal axis, a lower flange coupled to thesecond cylindrical drum at a lower end, and an upper flange coupled tothe second cylindrical drum at an upper end spaced from the lower end;and a spacer positioned between opposing faces of the lower flange ofthe first cable reel and the upper flange of the second cable reel whenthe first cable reel is stacked over the second cable reel so that thefirst longitudinal axis is substantially coaxial with the secondlongitudinal axis; wherein the spacer extends axially downward from thelower flange of the first cable reel to support the first cable reelupon and spaced above the upper flange of the second cable reel; andwherein the spacer is spaced inwardly from an outer rim of the lowerflange of the first cable reel to form a circumferential gap between theopposing faces that is accessible with the forks of a fork lift vehiclefrom all directions.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the lower flangeof the first cable reel defines a planar surface located radially inwardof the outer rim for receiving an upper surface of a pair of forkliftforks in flat abutting relationship.
 18. The system of claim 17 whereinthe spacer is substantially annular in shape.
 19. The system of claim 18wherein the first cable reel further comprises a plurality of radiallyextending structural ribs affixed to the lower flange.
 20. The system ofclaim 19 wherein: the lower flange of the first cable reel furthercomprises an axially outwardly extending central hub; and the pluralityof radially extending structural ribs comprises a first set ofstructural ribs extending radially between the central hub and thespacer and a second set of structural ribs extending radially betweenthe spacer and the outer rim.